his drink, poured himself a second, and went to go find his fiancée. And tried to brace himself for what was about to happen to his life.
It could end all the happiness he had known.
But he couldn’t keep this secret from her.
Hope was sitting by the pool, enjoying the warmth of the sun. She was listening to the radio and petting Brutus, who was curled up on the lounge with her, flipped upside down with no care in the world. He seemed to have absolutely no idea that he was the size of a small horse. He might as well have been a lap cat, for all he knew.
It was a good day.
It had been a good few weeks. Once all the initial mayhem of her engagement to Nero calmed down, life hit a pattern. And it was a wonderful pattern. She felt like she had purpose and meaning for the first time in her life.
She found herself dwelling on their upcoming marriage once more. It was a strong political gesture—a Cardinal marrying a slave. Maybe it was the right first step in abolishing the nightmarish practice. It would take years to make changes, but she would have a public voice. She could speak up for those who were trapped inside the chains they wore.
The sound of footsteps heralded Nero’s approach. She smiled and turned her head, reaching out to him. He took her hand and bent down to kiss her fingers before sitting on the edge of the lounge. She could feel him scratching Brutus on the stomach, “Hello, puppy.”
“How’s your day going?”
“Fine…for now. Um.” Nero sighed then groaned.
He had bad news. Whatever it was, she knew it was bad. She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. “How bad is it?”
“Bad.”
“Is the wedding off?”
“Huh? No!” He turned toward her to kiss her. It was intense and desperate. “No. I love you. I love you, and I want to marry you, and unless you change your mind, I will be there at the altar waiting for you.”
“Then what is it?”
“Um…well…I know who sold you.”
She felt bad for the dog as she upended the poor beast by shooting up to her feet so quickly she nearly tipped all three of them over onto the ground. Instantly, her heart was pounding, and adrenaline was crashing through her system. “Who? Who was it?”
“They’re…on their way here. You need to talk to them.”
“No—what? What if I—what if I don’t want to?”
He held her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. He held her and stroked her back, trying to calm her down. “Do you not want to? I can send them away.”
“I don’t know. I—oh, fates, Nero…” She clung to his shirt, fisting the fabric in both hands. “I’m scared.”
“I know. It’s okay to be scared, but I think this is better to get it all over with. You don’t want to let this linger. I think you need to face this head-on. I’ll be here with you. I’ll be holding your hand the whole time. And if you want me to kill them, I’ll be more than happy to bash their skull in and leave their burnt carcass in the forum for all to see.”
“I—I don’t know—” she stammered. She burrowed her head into his shoulder.
He squeezed her tighter. “It’s going to be okay. I have you.”
She was shaking. “When do they get here?”
“They’re in the atrium. And they can wait as long as you want them to.”
She took a small step back from him and tried to steady her breathing. “No, you’re right.” Brutus nudged her hand with his nose and forced himself in between them, demanding to be petted. The dog knew she was upset and was trying to cheer her up.
There were people—and creatures—who loved her. Nero. Kema. The dogs. She had made fast friends with several of the servants and slaves who worked in the villa. This was her life now.
Whoever waited for her did not matter to her life.
Hope barely looked back at her time in the temple. The only thing she had done was invite Octavia to be her maid of honor. Kema was serving as Nero’s “best man” since he had few other friends. And “screw gender normality,” he had said. Kema deserved to stand next to him, and so, she would.
Hope was happy now.
And there wasn’t anything the person or persons who sold her could do to harm that. This life was hers. She kissed the dog on the head and ruffled